Veterans’ In-State Service Shared Leave Pool
Last updated: September 22, 2023
This page applies to all time off accruing staff and student employees.
The Washington State Department of Veterans’ Affairs (WDVA) administers a shared leave pool specifically for those state employees who are a veteran or spouse of a veteran to attend medical appointments or treatments for a service connected injury or disability.
The Veterans’ In-State Service Shared Leave Pool (VISSLP) Program allows UW employees to maintain a level of compensation and employee benefits equal to the amount they would have received if they were using accrued vacation or sick time off.
Receiving shared leave
Since this program uses a shared pool, there must be donated leave available in the pool in order to grant individual requests for leave.
Time off you receive from the pool is paid at your UW regular rate of pay.
Shared leave received under the VISSLP Program is not included in the 522 day total specified in the general Shared Leave Program but leave granted under VISSLP is also limited to 522 days.
Eligibility
To receive shared leave from the pool, you must meet the following requirements:
- You are a veteran as defined in RCW 41.04.005 and are attending medical appointments or receiving treatments for a service connected injury or disability.
- You are a spouse of a veteran as defined in RCW 41.04.005 who requires assistance while attending medical appointments or treatments for a service connected injury or disability.
- You have used (or will soon deplete) your available paid compensatory time, discretionary time off, sick time off, vacation time off, and personal holiday.
Requesting shared leave
Though the program is administered through the WDVA, you apply through UW Human Resources who will submit your request to the WDVA.
For campus staff: Submit an absence request for Shared Leave in Workday (“LOA-Shared Leave of Absence”). You can find instructions in the Leave of Absence – Request Shared Leave – Staff Campus User Guide. In order to process the request, you will be prompted to provide supporting documentation:
- Summary letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- DD Form 214
For medical centers staff: Complete the Shared Leave(med centers) - Request to Receive - Veterans (VISSLP) (MS Word) form and submit it to your supervisor, who will review them and forward them on to your department’s leave specialist. In order to process the request, you will be prompted to provide supporting documentation:
- Summary letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- DD Form 214
The WDVA cannot grant more leave than the leave balance in the VISSLP available at the time a request is received.
Abuse of the pool
The University investigates alleged abuse of the VISSLP. If wrongdoing is found, the employee may be required to repay all of the shared leave received from the pool.
Additional shared leave
Even if you receive leave from the WDVA shared leave pool, you may still request leave through the general Shared Leave Program. Requestors must meet the requirements of that program in order to be eligible.
Donating shared leave
Your donation to this shared leave program is to a pool, not an individual.
To donate, you must meet the following requirements:
| Type of time off: | Requirement: |
| Vacation time off | You have at least 80 hours of vacation time off after the donation is deducted. For part-time employees, this minimum balance is prorated. Classified employees may not donate hours in excess of the 240-hour annual leave maximum if they would otherwise not have sufficient time to use the hours before their next anniversary date. |
| Sick time off | You have at least 176 hours of sick time off after the donation is deducted. For part-time employees, this balance is not prorated. |
| Personal holiday | All or part of the personal holiday may be donated. Any personal holiday hours remaining after donation must be used at one time and within the current calendar year. |
For campus staff: Follow the Leave of Absence – Donate Shared Leave – Staff Campus User Guide and make your donation in Workday. Contact the ISC for additional assistance.
For medical centers staff:
- To donate, complete the Shared Leave (med centers) - Donation - Veterans (VISSLP) (MS Word) and Shared Leave – Donation (MS Word) forms and submit them to your supervisor. Contact your leave specialist if you have any questions about donating.
- Once donated, the hours are deducted from your leave balance. Donations to the VISSLP are permanent and will not be returned to the donating employee.
Manager responsibilities
Requests to donate
Follow these steps for processing a request to donate leave:
- When an employee submits the Shared Leave (med centers) - Donation - Veterans (VISSLP) (MS Word) and Shared Leave – Donation (MS Word) forms, review the employee section of the forms for accuracy, then complete the departmental section. The budget number specified on the forms will be charged for the hours donated.
- If you approve the request, forward the completed forms to your leave specialist. If you believe approving this donation may not be appropriate, contact your Human Resources Consultant to discuss your concerns.
- HR will send written confirmation of approval to you and the donating employee.
- HR will work with the Integrated Service Center to transfer the value of the time off donation to the state DVA shared leave pool.
Requests to receive leave
When an employee submits the two leave request forms, review them for completeness and forward them on to your leave specialist. HR will submit the request to the state WDVA.
Definitions
Veteran is defined as:
A person who has served during any of the following periods of war as either a member in any branch of the armed forces of the United States, a member of the women’s air forces service pilots; a U.S. documented merchant mariner with service aboard an oceangoing vessel operated by the war shipping administration, the office of defense transportation, or their agents, from December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946; or a civil service crewmember with service aboard a U.S. army transport service or U.S. naval transportation service vessel in oceangoing service from December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946:
- World War I;
- World War II;
- The Korean conflict;
- The Vietnam era, which means the period beginning on February 28, 1961, and ending on May 7, 1975, in the case of a veteran who served in the Republic of Vietnam during that period and the period beginning August 5, 1964, and ending on May 7, 1975;
- The Persian Gulf War, which was the period beginning August 2, 1990, and ending on the date prescribed by presidential proclamation or law;
- The period beginning on the date of any future declaration of war by the congress and ending on the date prescribed by presidential proclamation or concurrent resolution of the congress; and
- the following armed conflicts, if the participant was awarded the respective campaign badge or medal: The crisis in Lebanon; the invasion of Grenada; Panama, Operation Just Cause; Somalia, Operation Restore Hope; Haiti, Operation Uphold Democracy; Bosnia, Operation Joint Endeavor; Operation Noble Eagle; southern or central Asia, Operation Enduring Freedom; and Persian Gulf, Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Or a person who has received the armed forces expeditionary medal, or marine corps and navy expeditionary medal, for opposed action on foreign soil, for service in any branch of the armed forces of the United States; or as a member of the women’s air forces service pilots.
Uniformed services is defined as:
- Armed Forces
- Army National Guard
- Air National Guard of any state, territory, commonwealth, possession, or district
- Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service
- Coast Guard
- Any other category of persons designated by the president of the United States in time of war or national emergency.
Additional resources
APS 45.10 Shared Leave Program for Classified Non-Union and Contract-Classified Staff, Professional Staff Employees, and Librarians